BEAUMONT: Hospice patient gets her wish – a wedding

Elizabeth Bartlett and Phillip Cape are seen in a photo taken before her cancer got so bad that she opted for hospice care rather than continue painful treatments. The couple has been together for 17 years and will have a church wedding on Sept. 7 in Beaumont through The Southern California Hospice Foundation's Angel Assistance program.

Elizabeth Bartlett is planning her dream wedding â" a final wish for the Beaumont woman after she started receiving hospice care for terminal breast cancer.

Bartlett met Phillip Cape in 1996 and the couple soon started a life together. They had a daughter, Ericka, who is now 13, but never had the means to have the church wedding Bartlett dreamed of, until now.

Thanks to the Southern California Hospice Foundationâs Angel Assistance program, everything has been taken care of for the special day.

âThrough this program, we partner with local hospices to cover needs that reach beyond the scope of the hospice benefit â" needs such as food, transportation, payment of an electric bill or the granting of a final wish,â said Michelle Wulfestieg, the foundationâs executive director.

Elizabethâs request was submitted by Lori Marangakis, a Companion Hospice social worker.

Wulfestieg said the goal of the foundation, which was established in 2002, is to give patients and their families meaningful moments that will remain in their hearts forever.

Caterer and chef Katherine King is helping to make the coupleâs dream wedding come true. The wish list included flowers, a limo, music, food, a photographer, make-up for the bride and a wedding cake. King and her friend Gina Leslie, a professional event planner with The WE Studio, fulfilled every request for the Sept. 7 nuptials at Beaumont Presbyterian Church.

âWhen KK and I started reaching out to our contemporaries, we were amazed at the outpouring of their individual emotions and absolute desire to participate,â Leslie said.

Bartlett was diagnosed with breast cancer in March 2009 and underwent chemotherapy and radiation for three years.

âShe was in a lot of pain,â Cape said. âShe confided in me that the treatment was not solving the problem, only prolonging the agony. Thatâs when she came to the conclusion to stop treatment. Any and all decisions are hers alone and I have to abide by her wish.â

âItâs very hard seeing Liz like this and feeling so helpless,â he said. âBut the love we have for one another outweighs everything and it has sustained us through a lot. We lost our jobs, our home and now Iâm losing my girl.â

The family lived and worked in the Beaumont area for many years until circumstances forced them to move in with Bartlettâs parents in Whittier. In July, Michael and Margaret Pinchbeck invited them to move into their Beaumont home and said the family could stay as long as they needed.

âWe put our trust and faith in God and we are no longer afraid or scared,â Cape said. âIt hasnât been easy, but we have learned a lot of humility.â

The wedding planners are trying to make things as easy for the couple as possible.

âBecause Elizabeth is in such a medically fragile state, my goal is to get everything organized and then call them with all the details,â Wulfestieg said. âThis is a beautiful example of people coming together to support a family during the most difficult time of life â" bringing them dignity, joy, comfort and closure.â

Cape said the difference heâs seen in Bartlett since the wedding plans got under way has been amazing. They are beyond grateful for what people are doing for them.

âIt is such a blessing and we recognize that â" weâre on our hands and knees every day thanking the Lord that heâs put these people in our path,â Cape said. âAfter all we have been through, the community is coming together for us. This is giving us the chance to celebrate Lizâs life.â

Join the conversation

Keep it civil and stay on topic. No profanity, vulgarity, racial slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. By posting your comment, you agree to allow Freedom Communications, Inc. the right to republish your name and comment in additional Freedom publications without any notification or payment.